Spring-attaching means for clockworks.



PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

7H: NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

a No. 863,725.

J. S. KIRSTEIN. SPRING ATTAGHI NG MEANS FOR OLOGKWORKS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26.1906.

j 6 .mk 7 3 w m m w 2 J W. 7 0 mm U. .l I a E M Y w JOHN S. KIRSTEIN, OF CANTON, SOUTH DAKOTA.

SPRING-ATTACHING MEANS FOR CLOCKWORKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

Application filed s tember 25,1906. Serial No. 336,193.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN S. Kmsrnm, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Lincoln and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Attaching Means for Clockworks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clock work mechanisms and the main and essential feature of the invention resides in the provision of peculiar means whereby to secure the usual. clock spring or springs operatively to the works or other portion of the clock mechanism.

As is well known in the present forms of clock work mechanism most commonlyin use, should the striking or main working spring be broken, or should it be desired to remove the springs for any purpose whatever, it is necessary to separate the sides of the frame of the clock mechanism and this operation disarranges all the other parts of the mechanism, necessitating considerable labor and time in order to replace them and often giving rise to loss of parts or damage thereto.

The means embodying this invention are for securing the clock spring to the clock mechanism in such a way as to admit of ready detachment of the clock spring without interfering with any of the other parts'of the clock works and not necessitating separation of the sides of the frame which is advantageous forreasons above noted.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clock mechanism including those parts which are directly associated with or affected by the present invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view; and, Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the winding shaft.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the invention, the drawing illustrates the frame of the clock work mechanism which, for the purpose of this description, will be described to be composed of the two sides 1 and 2, respectively. Ordinarily the sides 1 and 2 are secured together by corner posts having small nuts at opposite extremities, or otherwise fastened so as to prevent separation of the sides 1 and 2.

The main spring 3 illustrated in the drawing is the striking spring of the mechanism and said spring is coiled about a spring-shaft 4 which is of peculiar form. The body portion of the shaft 4 is square and receives the collet 5 thereupon, said collet being equal in length to the width of the spring 3 and being provided with a square opening therefrom to receive the shaft 4. A projection 6 extends through the collet 5 atan intermediate point in the length of the latter and this pro jection extends through a small opening in the inner extremity of the spring 3, thereby securing the spring to the collet. The lower extremity of the shaft 4 is provided with a round bearing 7 adapted to pass through a suitable bearing opening in the lower side 2 of the frame of the mechanism, and the shaft is also formed with a larger round bearing portion 8 near its upper extremity to pass through the bearing opening in the upper side 1 of the frame. The upper extremity portion, however, of the shaft 4 is of square form, as shown at 9, to admit of readily applying a key thereto in order to wind the spring 3. Mounted on the shaft 4, above the spring 3, are several members forming a part of the clock mechanism, namely, the gear wheel 10, the ratchet wheel 11, which is engaged by the pawl 12, and the striking wheel 13. The striking wheel 13 has the hub portion 14 thereof affixed to the shaft 4 by a set screw 15. The members 10, 11 and 13 are provided with square openings therethrough to receive the shaft and are therefore rotatable with said shaft. By securing the ratchet wheel to the shaft 4, in the manner described, it will be apparent that the shaft 4 cannot be displaced and will have no playwhatever until the member 15 is removed preparatory to detaching the parts.

As usual, the outer end of the spring 3 is attached to one of the corner posts of the frame comprising the sides 1 and 2', said post being designated 16 and is also of peculiar form having its lower end reduced and passing through the lower side 2 of the frame, a nut being applied thereto. The upper corner post 16 is of equal diameter throughout and passes through an opening in the upper side 1 of the frame. Small horizontal pins 17 pass through horizontal openings in the post 16, said pins being arranged just above and below the side 1 of the frame and being designed to prevent displacement of the post 16 therefrom.

Should it be desired to remove the spring 3, it will be apparent that the screw 15 may be detached and the shaft 4 may be lifted upwardly or outwardly and thereby withdrawn from the frame and the parts which are applied thereto. The spring 3 will thus be released from the shaft 4 and may be readily replaced or otherwise operated upon in a convenient manner, the post 16 having of course been previously removed by withdrawing the pins 17.

Operation of the parts in the above manner can be performed without disturbing the main parts in the clock mechanism and the advantages of the above will be apparent.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a clock mechanism, the combination of a frame comprising side pieces, a corner post having one end detachably connected to one of the side pieces, While the opposite end extends through the opposite side piece and carries transverse pins engaging opposite faces of the said side piece, an angular winding shaft journaled between the side pieces and removable longitudinally therefrom, a collet surrounding a portion of the winding shaft between the side pieces of the frame and freely slidable upon the said Winding shaft a spring coiled about the collet and having one end thereof connected to the collet while the opposite end is connected to the corner post, a hub fitted upon the shaft and slidabie thereon, the said hub being interposed between one end of the collet and one side of the frame, and a set screw carried by the hub and engaging the winding, shaft to prevent longitudinal displacement of the latter and to hold the collet adjacent the opposite side of the frame.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN s. KIRsTEIN. 1 s.]

Witnesses:

C. E. BENEDICT, J. H. NYLEN. 

